Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic and/or medicinal vapors to enhance a feeling of well-being and for therapeutic effects. Aromatherapy has been practiced by humans for thousands of years as a mode of healing and relaxation. It is believed that aromatherapy originated with the Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. The Egyptians used aromatic plants to create aromatic massage oils, medicines, skin care products, perfumes and cosmetics.
Aromatherapy has gained in popularity and in credence in holistic medicine as a mode of healing and relaxation for increasingly busy lives. Fragrant essential oils are used in either liquid or vapor form. Hydrosols may be similarly used as essential oils. In addition, some hydrosols possess unique characteristics that may be different from essential oils. The dried plant material contained in a sachet contains the qualities and components of its essential oil and/or hydrosol in an unextracted and unadulterated form.
Most of the fragrant material used in aromatherapy is plant-based and requires drying to prevent mold growth and deterioration. Leaves, flowers, stems, seeds, bark or roots are used either in whole or part.
The oils can enter the body via the skin or the olfactory system. Essential oils can be absorbed through the skin in an effort to cleanse, nourish, and rejuvenate the body and/or to heal burns, cuts and ease irritation. The essential oils also can diffuse through the air, enter the nose and stimulate the brain. The brain perceives the smell and registers an emotion. When the brain is stimulated by the same scent again, it associates the same emotion with the particular scent, and the same emotion is felt again.
It is widely accepted that the use of certain herbs positively affects psychological and physiological functioning. As essential oils are inhaled, they pass over the olfactory bulb where they fit into tiny receptors, sending a nerve message or electrical signal to the limbic system. The first stops are the amygdala and hippocampus, the memory centers of the brain. If a memory has previously been tagged by these fragrances, the aroma can trigger an emotional flashback (this is aromacology; a unique response to a scent, triggered by memory). Certain essential oils evoke an aromatherapy response that is the same in all people. The message travels on to the hypothalmus which acts as a relay station, sending the scent to various other parts of the brain to trigger responses of euphoria, clarity, calm, etc.
Studies suggest that the aromatic oils stimulate the body's own immune system, resulting in a quick therapeutic response. Indeed, recent research on the migration of large molecules or particulates to the brain via the olfactory nerve system indicates there is a substantial scientific basis for the benefits of aromatherapy. Deeper breathing, which is induced by aromatherapy, also assists in oxygenation of the blood and may serve to improve overall cardiovascular health.
Aromatherapy for animals has also become recognized as legitimate and beneficial as human awareness of animal stress and boredom increases. We recognize stress imposed on animals, resulting, for example, from being left alone for long periods of time, or from the monotonous existence inside zoo enclosures or homes for that matter. We also have a greater awareness that animals suffer from a variety of medical conditions, including a wide range of skin conditions.
Aromatherapy is used to assist animals with various ailments, including flea and tick control, parasite control, burns, itching, arthritis, cuts, and car sickness. Essential oils used on animals include Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint, Lavender, and Eucalyptus. Tea Tree Oil is used as an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent. It is soothing to skin irritations such as insect bites and eczema. Peppermint is useful to prevent motion sickness and nausea, and is effective in discouraging insects. Lavender is calming, anti-depressive, anti-inflammatory, and helpful for treating burns. It is useful as a fungicide and germicide. Eucalyptus is bactericidal, antifungal, and a useful inhalant for respiratory complaints.
Current methods for applying aromatic essential oils to animals include: direct application to the skin via sprays, shampoos, soaps, applying drops to an animal's bedding, padding, or crate, and/or rubbing the oils into the skin or on the foot pads of the animal.
These methods are limited for a number of reasons, including that the animal must be in the location where the essential oils have been applied in order to achieve any benefit. In the case of shampoos or sprays applied directly to the animal, the therapeutic effect of the essential oils reaching the animal's olfactory system is often quickly lost due to animal behavior, such as a dog who has been shampooed who proceeds immediately to shake itself or roll in dirt, or a cat that licks itself clean. Moreover, natural animal skin oils (created as part of the animal's system for keeping its fur clean) tend to mask the beneficial scent of any human-applied essential oils applied directly to the animal's skin.
Current methods for applying essential oils to humans have similar drawbacks. For example, aromatherapy conducted at spas can only result in benefits at the spa location. Aromatherapy devices used privately in the home also are limited to the home setting. If essential oils are applied directly to a person's skin (such as is done for perfumes), the person must “wear” that particular scent until the essential oil is washed off. This causes problems with others who may be sensitive to strong aromas, or problems with inappropriate settings, such as “wearing” the aroma while the person is at work.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field for an improved aromatherapy delivery system for persons and animals.